Rahjit, 53, said he used an "old jungle trick" he learned in his Cambodian village to weaken the python, which was captured in dramatic footage.

The snake had crawled inside a car engine to keep warm in Samut Prakan, Thailand. The 10ft-long beast hid above the wheel chassis, coiled round the suspension then slithered up into the engine were it wrapped itself parts just below the alternator.

Rescuers spent 90 minutes grappling with the stubborn reptile before Rahjit finished his shift at the nearby factory and walked over to help.

He stunned the seasoned snake catchers by sinking his teeth into the deadly python's scales - which incredibly caused it to loosen its grip.

With four men pulling the python with all their strength, it eventually came loose after a lengthy three hour tug-of-war.

Rahjit joked that biting python's tails was an "old jungle trick" he learned in his village in Cambodia before moving to neighbouring Thailand for work.

He said: "This is an old trick we learned in the jungle. If a snake has caught a chicken or an animal then we can bite it to let the animal escape.

"Just bite the tail and bite it hard. That will make the snake weak. It will always work but nobody should try it unless they're experienced.

"I'm happy that I could help. This was not a scary snake. I've seen some that are very big."

Security guard Phanom Pattham, 40, said that Rahjit deserves a pay rise for getting the snake out of the engine of another worker's car after the incident on October 9 just after midnight.

He said: "Rahjit actually saved the snake's life. It was stuck for three hours and the future wasn't looking good for the snake. Give him a bonus for his good work."